The last three days have seen Turkish incursions into the buffer zone around Pyla, as a long-standing territorial claim over parts of the Green Line resurfaced, triggering a robust response from the UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP), which remains in full control of the area.
The foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) plaguing cloven-hooved animals across the island is the unlikely source of the latest security tensions in and around the buffer zone – mainly Pyla and Pergamos. Although the situation was calm on Wednesday, numerous media reported that Turkish "tanks" had rolled into the buffer zone, and that British forces from the nearby Bases were deployed in response. Photos were doing the rounds on social media showing a convoy of Turkish armoured combat vehicles parked in an area believed to be just a few hundred meters north of the buffer zone.
What the UN, British Bases and Government said
Speaking to Politis on Wednesday, UNFICYP spokesperson Aleem Siddique insisted that no military assets were currently deployed in the buffer zone.
“The situation on the Pyla plateau remains calm. UN peacekeepers continue to patrol the area and are closely monitoring the situation. There are no military assets inside the UN buffer zone,” he said.
A UN post on social media said UN Special Representative in Cyprus Khassim Diagne urged “calm and restraint” in Pyla and respect for UNFICYP’s mandate.
On Monday, the UN annnounced that it had stepped up patrols on the Pyla plateau and maintained a visible presence on the ground following Turkish Cypriot security personnel’s “unauthorised entry into the buffer zone” which constituted a violation of the peacekeeping mission’s mandate. The statement highlighted that “respect for the Mission’s mandate is essential to maintaining stability in this sensitive area”.
The British Bases press office confirmed that there were no Turkish tanks or British soldiers deployed to the area. Speaking to Politis, the press office said Bases personnel in three police vehicles had gone to the area as a precautionary measure and then left without taking any action.
Government Spokesperson Konstantinos Letymbiotis issued a statement on Wednesday afternoon saying that occupying forces have been violating the buffer zone in the ‘Platy’ area of Pyla over the past few days, in breach of the area’s current status and international law.
“This action is aimed at challenging the status of the Buffer Zone, the role and mandate of UNFICYP, as well as creating new faits accomplis of occupation,” he said.
The Cyprus Republic has been in continuous communication with UNFICYP from the very outset, supporting efforts aimed at de‑escalation, noted Letymbiotis.
The spokesperson highlighted the “immediate response of UNFICYP” to the violation, adding that he expected the peacekeeping force will continue to take all necessary measures and undertake all required actions to prevent the creation of faits accomplis.
FMD and veterinary visits
So what happened? Politis spoke to multiple sources on the issue to get to the bottom of the matter. The problem boils down to the combination of two factors: foot-and-mouth disease, and the Turkish Cypriots’ long-standing claims over parts of the UN buffer zone, specifically on the Pyla plateau.
Turkish Cypriot farms in the Pyla and Pergamos area – that is, the buffer zone – who sell their products in the government-controlled areas reportedly sought the assistance of the Cyprus Republic’s Veterinary Service to deal with FMD.
The increased activity around these farms set off alarm bells in the north, particularly in the office of the official responsible for foreign affairs, Tahsin Ertuğruloğlu.
Given Turkish Cypriot claims over the buffer zone, and the prospect of Cyprus Republic officials entering areas claimed by the breakaway regime, the decision was taken to send Turkish Cypriot ‘police’ to the buffer zone on the Pyla plateau. Turkish Cypriot security personnel tried to set up areas of control there, and perform checks on people.
The UN responded immediately, and publicly, posting about the issue on social media on Monday. They increased patrols and kept a permanent presence. The Turkish Cypriot security forces left the area but remained nearby, just outside the buffer zone on the Pyla plateau.
Then on Wednesday, fearing a visit by veterinary officials to Turkish Cypriot farms in Pergamos, Ertuğruloğlu sent uniformed and civilian-dressed people in SUVs to gather on the northern ceasefire line outside of the buffer zone. The aim being to prevent the UN from escorting veterinary officials to the farms. While no such visit was planned, the UN peacekeepers were positioned inside the buffer zone, facing off with Turkish Cypriot security personnel to ensure no unauthorised incursion took place. Ultimately, in both cases, the UN employed dialogue and de-escalation methods, with physical presence. In the case of Pergamos, the Turkish Cypriot forces left the area. In Pyla, they remain present but outside the buffer zone.
Ertuğruloğlu vs Erhürman
Turkish Cypriot news site Gündem Kıbrıs on Wednesday quoted Ertuğruloğlu rejecting reports of military mobility in the area. He claimed that he sent the ‘police’ to prevent possible violations of Turkish Cypriot ‘territory’ after receiving reports that the veterinary service planned to visit the Turkish Cypriot farms in the area.
Meanwhile, on the opposite side of the political spectrum from Ertuğruloğlu, Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhürman issued a statement on Wednesday saying: “As the Turkish Cypriot side, we have never been in favour of tension, nor will we be.”
Intercommunal cooperation?
The question that remains pending is why the issue could not be resovled at the Technical Committee level, since FMD is not something that can be eradicated by one side or the other alone. Co-chair of the Technical Committee on Health Leonidas Phylactou told Politis that no one has asked for the assistance of the subcommittee on veterinary matters, noting that the issue is currently being handled by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the UN.
He noted that the subcommittee comprises Veterinary Service officials acting in their personal capacity. If they needed to discuss or arrange something with the Turkish Cypriots, they could always request the subcommittee to convene, said Phylactou.